How Agents Of S.H.I.E.L.D. Will Connect With Doctor Strange

One of the benefits of being a part of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is getting to draw upon on the new elements and characters that are constantly being introduced. While Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. doesn't really tie into the movies as much as some would like, the TV show certainly never passes up an opportunity to reference or take advantage of the latest film, be it Hydra taking over S.H.I.E.L.D. or providing Helicarriers in Avengers: Age of Ultron. Now it's Doctor Strange's turn, and executive producer Jed Whedon has revealed how Season 4 will connect to magic infused film.

Our ties are at times very direct and at times are more thematic. The tie this year will feel more of a reflection of the movie, less an interweaving plot. As that movie hits the world, it comes at the right time in our show, and you will see some of those same ideas being explored.

Jed Whedon spoke with Entertainment Weekly about the upcoming season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and how it would connect with the latest MCU film Doctor Strange. S.H.I.E.L.D. will be introducing its take on the supernatural Ghost Rider, who will bring his own "strange elements" to the show. Given that the show is introducing the supernatural just as the MCU does the same with Doctor Strange, there will be some minor connective tissue, but not to any extreme degree. There most likely won't be any Doctor Strange name drops in S.H.I.E.L.D., but just the very existence of the film justifies the show being able to do its own thing with magical forces.

Fellow executive producer Maurissa Tancharoen also points out that Coulson and the team will have certain questions leading up to the premiere of Doctor Strange, and that the film will help fill in the gaps while giving the superhero spy show more room to play in the sandbox.

Hopefully some of the questions that we're asking will be answered by it and then pose some new themes and ideas for us to explore.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. has mostly dealt with more high-tech grounded enemies and super powered Inhumans, so Ghost Rider will be an entirely new ball game for the show. From the sound of it, elements introduced in Doctor Strange - such as mystical forces and other dimensions - will also carry over to S.H.I.E.L.D. and help to explain Ghost Rider's origins. The Spirit of Vengeance that gives Robbie Reyes his powers usually comes from hell, but perhaps Doctor Strange will set up the idea of a hellish dimension that also could serve as Ghost Rider's new origin for the MCU.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Season 4 will premiere on Tuesday, September 20 at its new time slot of 10 PM on ABC. To learn when more of your favorite shows are returning, check out CinemaBlend's fall TV premiere schedule.